Week to focus on child protection

THE ‘Tree of Life’ was installed at Taree City Centre yesterday to mark the start of Child Protection Week.

The ‘tree’ featured green cardboard ‘leaves’ on which children have written messages about “Families are great when???..”

A number of schools have been involved in allowing children to write on the leaves, including Taree West Public, Herons Creek, Chatham Primary, Manning Gardens Public and St Joseph’s.

In addition, groups such as Mums and Parenting run by Manning Support Services have taken leaves home for their children to write message.

Once the display at the shopping centre is finished the tree will move to Greater Taree City Library for a couple of weeks.

Manning Support Services has arranged a display at the shopping centre which will be staffed from 10am to 2.30pm today and from 9.30am to 4pm tomorrow and Thursday.

The special week will culminate on Friday with a march through Taree CBD followed by a fun day and barbecue in Fotheringham Park.

Shopping centre display: Nina Christian from Family and Community Services, Jo Gilkison and Peter Stace from Manning Support Services, Bree Dennis from Greater Taree City Council and Natasha Brotheron from Manning Support Services manning the Child Protection Week display yesterday at Taree City Centre